Cheerios Claim Doubted

SACRAMENTO (CN) – A federal class action claims that General Mills pushes Cheerios with false claims that it will lower cholesterol and prevent heart attacks. laintiffs claim the U.S. FDA warned General Mills in a May 5 letter that the label on its Cheerios Toasted Whole Grain Oat Cereal violated the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

According to the complaint, the FDA specifically objected to these claims on the label: “you can Lower Your Cholesterol 4% in 6 weeks”; and “Did you know that in just 6 weeks Cheerios can reduce bad cholesterol by an average of 4 percent? Cheerios is … clinically proven to lower cholesterol. A clinical study showed that eating two 1 1/2 cup servings daily of Cheerios cereal reduced bad cholesterol when eaten as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol.” The class claims that the label for regular Cheerios makes similar claims, but boasts of “10% in one month!”.Plaintiffs seek punitive damages and costs. They are represented by Harold Hewell of San Diego, Howard Rubinstein of Aspen, Colo., and Joe Whatley Jr. with Whatley, Drake & Kallas of New York, N.Y.